Putting the Pieces Together

Amalgamation of region’s English public school boards causes confusion during election

By Lisa Marchitto

There has never been a more confusing time to hold elections for school board members.
School boards are amalgamating, big budget cuts are expected, and candidates are receiving little guidance from the provincial government.

“One of the. . . large problems we’re facing is that there are no clear definitions of a large number of things,” says Albert Chambers, one of the two candidates in Zone 10 of public school board 25. “A great deal of information is missing, and that makes if difficult to provide answers to the questions of electors.”
Chambers says the main issue for voters is how funding will change with amalgamation.
The amalgamation will decrease the region’s boards to four — an English language public board, an English language separate board, a French language public board, and a French language separate board — instead of the present six. read more

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World Class

Young gymnast puts a spin on the average teenager’s routine

By Rachel Moore

Martin Monderie cleans the dusty white chalk off his hands, studies his hairdo, and walks out of the gym after practice with his school bag slung over his shoulder.

When you ask the 17-year-old if he considers himself a normal teenager, he’ll ponder a moment and say “no.” read more

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No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

Animal welfare is pushing scientific research to the sidelines at Health Canada, writes Lindsay George

There is something going on over at the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada that Canadians have been ignoring ever since word got out that 115 macaque monkeys at the primate colony were slated to be killed.

That something is research.

The long-tailed monkeys are part of research into the effect of toxins and AIDS developmental vaccines at Health Canada. Until researchers are able to perform autopsies on the animals, the research done to date is virtually useless. read more

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